Explosive and method of manufacturing same



?atented Aug. 18, 1925.

EDWARD M. WERNER, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROCKBURST EXPLO- SIVES COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

EXPLOSIVE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME.

No Drawing. Application filed June 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. \Vnnxnn, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahogmand State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Explosives and Methods of Manufacturing Same, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to an explosive composition and a method of making same, its object being to utilize potassium of chlorate as the principal oxidizing agent of such composition, and at the same time eliminate the ready response of such composition to explosion created by friction produced by a glancing blow'or otherwise, thereby imparting the necessary elements of safety to and at the same time retaining the desirable effects resulting from the use of such chlorate, and also to retain its ready response to det onation produced by ordinary commercial detonators.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that in so far as relates to its mechanical efficiency an explosive having a potassium chlorate base is highly desirable, but owing to its ready response to the heat generated by friction, and its consequent liability to accidental or unpremeditated explosion it is rendered extremely dangerous and hence is not used to the extent which its efiiciency as an explosive alone would justify.

Attempts have heretofore been made to desensitize a potassium chlorate base explosive composition so, as to render it safe, by using viscous oils, both vegetable and mineral, such as cotton-seed oil, castor oil, petroleum jelly, or wax. It has been found, however, that when sufficient of these desensitizing agents are added to produce the desired desensitizing effect, the composition is also rendered too highly insensitive to detonation with ordinary commercial detonators, for practical purposes.

The sensitivity of potassium chlorate itself, when thoroughly dry, to friction is particularly marked, but when mechanically mixed with water it becomes more or less insensitive, depending on the quantity of such water. Upon drying, however, it returns to its sensitive state. As a consequence, some 1924. Serial No. 717,895.

explosives having a chlorate base have, at times, passed friction tests and at other times failed therein, due to the fact, according to my discoveries, that the chlorate was dry at one time and contained some moisture at the other time.

It is toward the overcoming of the difficulties heretofore encountered in the abovementioned respects that my invention is directed.

In carrying out the process for producing my improved composition, 1 first take approximately seventy parts by weight of potassium chlorate in a very finely divided state, and mechanically combined by intimately mixing, by any suitable means, this chlorate with nine parts by weight of glycerine. As a result, a mechanical mixture of glycerine and chlorate is produced. A glyc' erine is selected which contains an amount of water capable of rendering the chlorate sutliciently insensitive to frictional heat to impart thereto suilicient safety for ordinary commercial purposes in handling. The glycerine refuses to give up this moisture under ordinary temperatures, and the required amount of desensitizing water will therefore not diminish under ordinary circumstances. he desensitizing ellcctis also enhanced by the viscous nature of the glycerine inasmuch as it is a lubricant.

After the above described mixture has been produced, I add thereto two parts of a vegetable oil such as cotton-seed or castor oil which is intimately mixed with the particles of the chlorate. glycerine mixture and so as to coat each such particle with such oil. This coating is of a moisture-excluding nature and prevents the gylcerine, which has a tendency to take up more moisture from the surrounding atmosphere, from acquiring an increased amount of moisture and thereby increasing the dcsensitizing action to a greater extent than would be required or necessary for the desired result.

After having produced the mixture of chlorate, glycerine, and vegetable oil in the above described manner, 1 then intimately mix therewith eight and one-half parts by weight of wood flour impregnated with sevon and one-half parts by weight of mononitro-benzcne. The latter is insoluble in water. is a carbon carrier. and therefore forms a very highly desirable, if not the best, material for water-proofing an explosive so that charges thereof may be loaded in wet holes. It has/however, the disadvantage of rendering the potassium chlorate with which it may be mixed, very sensitive to friction, and if it alone were added to the previously mentioned composition of the chlorate and glycerine coated with oil, it

' would penetrate the oil envelope'of the particles and act upon the chlorate with the result of producing this undesirable increased sensitivity. The wood flour, however, has a greater absor tive alfinity for the mononitro-benzene than has the chlorate with the result that it holds the said mono-nitrobenzene and prevents its association with the chlorate. The wood flour is also a carbon carrier and I have'found that in addition it acts as a desensitizer presumably from the fact that it forms a ready cushion or absorber of heat produced by friction'and in that way efi'ects its desensitizing action.

I have also found that at times it may be desirable to add about three parts by weight of aluminum powder to the composition.

It will, also be understood that while I have indicated certainspecific proportions of the various ingredients as capable of use in producing my improved composition, the pro ortions may be varied to a certain extent without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, all as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

As a result of the above described process I have been able to produce an explosive having the desirable potassium chlorate base, which is insensitive to the effect of frictional heat which may be produced under the usually met conditions, is responsive to ordinary commercial detonators, and which is sufficiently water-proof for ordinary purposes.

at I claim is:

1. An explosive composition containing potassiunr chlorate in a finely divided state and mechanically combined with a substance containinga sufiicient amount of water to reduce the sensitiveness of the potassium chlorate to friction but not suflicient to inhibit its use as an explosive in connection with a proper detonator.

2. An ex losive composition containing potassium c lorate in a finely divided state mechanically combined with a material containinga suflicient amount of water to reduce the sensitiveness of the potassium chlorate to friction but not sufiicient to inhibitits use as an explosive in connection with a proper detonator, the particles of such chlorate mixture being coated with a water excluding material. 3

3. A11 explosive composition; containing potassium chlorate in a'finely divided state mechanically combined with a. material containing a. sufiicient amount of water to re duee the sensitiveness of the potassium chlorate to friction but not sufficient to inhibit its use as an. explosive'in connection with a proper detonatoi, the particles of such chlorate combination being coated with a vegetable oil.

4. An explosive composition containing potassium chlorate in a finely divided state mechanically combined with glycerine, the particles of combined chlorate and glycerine being coated with a water-excluding material.

5. An explosive composition containing potassium chlorate in a finely divided state mechanically combined with glycerine, the particles of combined chlorate and glycerine being coated with vegetable oil.

6. An explosive composition containing potassium chlorate in a finely divided state mechanically combined with a material containing a sufiicient amount of water to'reduce the sensitiveness of the potassium chlorate to friction but not sufficient to inhibit its use as an explosive in connection with a proper detonator, and a finely. divided material mixed with said chlorate combination capable of acting as a cushion and carrying.mono-nitro-benzene.

7. An explosive composition containing potassium chlorate in a finely divided state containing a suflicient amount of water to reduce the sensitiveness of the potassium chlorate to friction but not suflicient toina hibit its use as an explosive in connection with a; proper detonator, and a finely divided material capable'of acting as a cushion -and carrying mono-nitro-benzene; the particles of the chlorate being coated with a moisture-excluding material.

8. An explosive composition consisting of potassium chlorate in a finely divided state, combined mechanically with glycerine, the said particles of chlorate and glycerine being coated with a moisture-excludin material and wood flour mechanically mixed with said chlorate and carrying mono-nitrobenzene.

9. An explosive composition consisting of potassium chlorate in a finely divided state, combined mechanically with glycerine, and water, the said particles of chlorate and glycerine being coated with vegetable oil; and wood flour mechanically mixed with said chlorate and carrying mono-nitro-benzene.

10. An explosive composition containing the following ingredients in substantially the stated proportions, namely: potassium chlorate 70 parts by weight; glycerine 9 parts by weight; vegetable oil 2 parts by weight; wood flour 8 parts by weight and mono-nitro-benzene 7 parts by weight.

11. An explosive composition containing 70 parts by weight of potassium chlorate, 9 paits by weight of glycerine mechanically combined. with such chlorate, 2 parts by weight of vegetable oil forming a coating for such chlorate combination 8 parts by weight of wood flour and Y parts by weight of mono-nitro-benzene carried by said wood flour; the latter with said mononitro-benzene being mechanically mixed with the coated chlorate combination.

12. An explosive composition containing the following ingredients in substantially the stated proportions, namely: potassium chlorate 70 parts by weight; glycerine 9 parts and water one part by Weight; vegetable oil 2 parts by weight; wood flour 8 parts by weight and mono-nitrobenzene 7 parts by weight.

13. An explosive composition containing 70 parts by weight of potassium chlorate 9 parts by weight of glycerine and 1 part by weight of water mechanically combined with such chlorate, 2 parts by weight of vegetable oil forming a coating for such chlorate combination, 8 parts by weight of wood flour and 7 parts by weight of mono-nitro-benzene carried by said wood flour; the latter with said mono-nitro-benzene being mechanically mixed with the coated chlorate combination.

14. The steps in a process of manufacturing an explosive composition which consist in mechanically combining finely divided potassium chlorate with a desensitizing material and then coating the particles of such combination with a moisture-excluding material.

'15. The. steps in a process of magmfactuv ing an explosive composition which consist in mechanically combining finely divided potassium chlorate with glycerine and then mixing the resultant product with a moisture excluding materia 16. The steps in a-process of manufacturing an explosive composition which consist in mechanically combining finely divided potassium chlorate containing a small percentage of moisture, with glycerine also containing a small percentage of moisture and then mixing the resultant product with a vegetable oil whereby the particles of otassium chlorate and mechanically com inedgylcerine are coated.

l7. The'process of manufacturing an explosive composition which consists in first mechanically combining finely divided potassium chlorate with a desensitizing agent, mixing such combination with a water-excluding material so as to coat the particles of the combination therewith, and then mixing the resultant product with a finely divided cushioning material impregnated with mononitro-benzene.

18. The process of manufacturing an explosive composition which consists in first mechanically combining finely divided potassium chlorate with glycerine, .mixing such combination with a vegetable oil, and then mixing the resultant product with finely divided wood flour carrying mono-nitrobenzene.

Signed by me this second day of June,

EDWARD M. WERNER 

